Get Started...
Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|SWe've documented 17 accessibility features for The Red Strings Club, including Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, No Button Combos, No Repeated Pressing and No Holds. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Reading but it also has features in Visual, Getting Started, Audio and Navigation to reduce unintended barriers.
This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Our accessibility examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked The Red Strings Club accessibility 20 months ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 20 months ago.
Accessibility Notes
The text throughout the game, including subtitles (which include the speaker name), is all high contrast but is also fairly small. In addition, the pixelated style can make the text difficult to read at times.
In the drink preparation minigame, you need to shake the drink to mix it. This is accompanied by a screen-shake effect that can't be turned off. Also in that minigame, the different liquids available to pour are all different colours, but the bottles are different shapes as well, so they can be differentiated by something other than colour for colourblind players.
In some scenarios, there are lightning flashes in the background.
Game Details
Release Date: 22/01/2018, updated in 2019
Out Now: Mac, PC and Switch
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Narrative, Puzzle (Communication, Creative and Sequencing)
Accessibility: 17 features
Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels
Developer: Deconstructeam (@Deconstructeam)
Costs: Purchase cost
Controls
We've documented 5 accessibility features for Controls in The Red Strings Club which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
Multiple Buttons & Single Stick: Can play with multiple buttons and a stick.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
Button Combinations
Specific button operation required to play
Holding Down Buttons Optional: Holding down buttons for prolonged periods (a second or more) is not required or can be switched to toggling the action on and off. This is in addition to the movement stick/button which is not considered a hold for this purpose.
Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional: Quick, repeated button pressing (more than 2 times a second) is not required, can be skipped or switched to holding a button to trigger a repeated action.
No Simultaneous Buttons: Only one button or key required at a time, in addition to direction stick(s).
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play The Red Strings Club, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Controls accessibility:
- Unpacking (10 Controls Features)
- Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney (10 Controls Features)
- Weird West (8 Controls Features)
- Signalis (8 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Difficulty in The Red Strings Club which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play. The following games are similar to The Red Strings Club, and offer accessibility features for Difficulty:
- Weird West (2 Difficulty Features)
- Monorail Stories (2 Difficulty Features)
- Unpacking (2 Difficulty Features)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (2 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Getting Started in The Red Strings Club which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.
Assistance Getting Starting
These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.
Reaction-Time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions, or there are settings to lower the requirement for quick reactions. This means you don't need to quickly press a button in response to an on-screen prompt, target a fast-moving target or skillfully complete a scenario against the clock.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren't time-limited or there's a low-pressure mode. This avoids the pressure of being put on the clock for overarching missions, or failing tasks because you didn't reach a destination in time.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play The Red Strings Club, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (7 Getting Started Features)
- Letters: A Written Adventure (7 Getting Started Features)
- Upheaval (6 Getting Started Features)
- Roadwarden (6 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Reading in The Red Strings Club which deal with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Moderate Reading: Moderate reading required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a high school student (14-year-old) would appreciate.
Text Visibility
High Contrast Text: Text colour contrasts to the background or can be adjusted to be. The text in menus, instructions and other information is presented in high contrast with a solid background.
Subtitles
All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game): All spoken content has subtitles, or there is no speech in the game. This means there is no requirement to hear spoken dialogue or narrative to play the game.
Captions
Speaker Indicator: Textual captions indicate who is speaking (or there is only ever one person speaking). This can also be indicated visually in the game with character icons or placing text in speech bubbles next to the person speaking.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play The Red Strings Club, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Monorail Stories (7 Reading Features)
- Coffee Talk (6 Reading Features)
- Detroit: Become Human (6 Reading Features)
- Verne: The Shape of Fantasy (5 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Navigation in The Red Strings Club which deals with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.
Menu Navigation
Menus Don't Wrap: Menus don't wrap and stop the cursor at the bottom of the list if you press down. Or menus do wrap but make it clear that you are back at the top of the list with sound or narration.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play The Red Strings Club, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Citizen Sleeper (7 Navigation Features)
- Weird West (5 Navigation Features)
- Monorail Stories (5 Navigation Features)
- Unpacking (5 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 3 accessibility features for Visual in The Red Strings Club which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Visual Distractions
No Busy Backgrounds: No distracting backgrounds or you can make them static or blank. This includes the absence of other movement elements in the background that might distract or confuse the action. Where foreground contrast is high, this includes games with some movement in the background that doesn't make it overly difficult to distinguish what is happening.
Motion Sickness Friendly
Motion Sickness Friendly: Doesn't have 3D movement elements that may trigger motion sickness, like motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision. Or includes the ability to disable motion blur, depth of field and field-of-vision effects.
Colour Options
Colour Blind Friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colour blind friendly mode with double coding or similar way to avoid colour dependance.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play The Red Strings Club, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Visual accessibility:
- Ord (8 Visual Features)
- Upheaval (7 Visual Features)
- One Button Travel (7 Visual Features)
- Coffee Talk (7 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Audio in The Red Strings Club which deal with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Adjustable Audio
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
Play Without Hearing
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play The Red Strings Club, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Audio accessibility:
- Roadwarden (3 Audio Features)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has some built-in features, including a lockable zoom, that can be used on all games.
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Ben Kendall and Andy Robertson
